2003 Buick Rendezvous Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Rendezvous years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 281 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Buick Rendezvous. That ranks 2nd out of 7 Rendezvous model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (53 complaints, 19%), typically at around 63,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 13 fires, 13 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 281owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Buick Rendezvous problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 53 | 19% | 63,000 | “intake manifold” (26%) | $1,900 |
| Electrical System | 45 | 16% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 43 | 15% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 36 | 13% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 30 | 11% | 60,300 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 9% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 21 | 7% | 42,250 | — | — |
| Visibility | 21 | 7% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 17 | 6% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 5% | 119,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 3% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 3% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 8 | 3% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 2% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 6 | 2% | 73,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 2% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 112,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2% | 200 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 4 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 107,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 8,200 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 1% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 1,720 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Buick Rendezvous recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: On certain vehicles, variations in the manufacturing process or exposure to high ambient temperatures may lead to fracture of the fuel tank inlet check valve (icv).
Risk: A fracture may allow fuel vapors to pass through and allow droplets of fuel to accumulate on the side of the fuel tank. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall will be mailed in two phases with the first phase beginning on december 4, 2007. The second phase will be mailed on december 13, 2007. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. The vehicle population includes buick rendezvous and pontiac aztek vehicle built in may 2003; chevrolet venture and pontiac montana vehicles built from june through august 2002; and all vehicles registered in nevada, arizona, virgin islands, puerto rico, and hawaii.
Latches/locks/linkages:hatchback/liftgate:lock
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, a structural support at the latch attachment in the rear liftgate may be inadequate to retain the latch to the liftgate in certain severe vehicle crash events.
Risk: If the liftgate were to open in a vehicle crash, an occupant could be ejected from the vehicle resulting in increased risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will add structural reinforcements to the liftgate in the area adjoining the latch assembly. Owner notification schedule began on june 21, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080. This is an expansion to a previous recall (03v211).
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Problem: Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Steering
Problem: In some of these sport utility vehicles, the diameter of the steering column intermediate shaft is too small.
Risk: This condition could allow the intermediate shaft to spin inside the steering column coupling, resulting in loss of steering control of the vehicle. If this were to happen while the vehicle is moving, a crash could resulting without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace if necessary, the steering column intermediate shaft. Owners were notified by telephone on february 7, 2003, with a follow-up letter on february 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300 or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: On certain mini vans, passenger and sport utility vehicles, some of these vehicles have a driver's side air bag that may not deploy as designed. In addition, the air bag inflator could rupture.
Risk: This could result in reduced capability of the air bag to protect the driver. Also if the air bag inflator ruptured, pieces of the inflator could strike and injure the vehicle occupants.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, install a new driver's air bag. Owner notification began on march 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Risk: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel tank leakage (EA07006) — opened Apr 18, 2007, closed Sep 13, 2007, led to recall 07V349000.
- Fuel tank leakage (RQ06009) — opened Dec 14, 2006, closed Apr 18, 2007.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The gas gage has been off since I bought it in September 2018. I run out of gas right before 1/4 of a tank and when I fill it it goes about 1/4 over the full line. The passenger seat side airbag went off closing the door May 2019.
After filling the fuel tank there is a strong gas odor that is present until the tank is almost empty. When walking around the vehicle or loading/unloading the vehicle, the strong gas odor is always present. This vehicle was at a dealership and they took it to the local personal auction company…
I purchased this vehicle in 2013, and a few years later, I began smelling gas. After doing my due diligence, I found out that there is a recall for this issue, because the check inlet valve at the top of the tank where the filler neck connects to the tank is cracked. Great, NO, only CERTAIN…
Have been told by several different mechanics that fuel is leaking where the fuel filler neck connects to the plastic gas tank at the check inlet valve. I've seen many, many complaints of this same issue from other rendezvous owners, as well as the same problem of gm and/or buick refusing to repair…
Our rendevouz plastic fuel tank started seeping fuel at the filler neck yesterday. After doing some reading, i saw there was a recall and then a special coverage adjustment. The one listed on july 21, 2008 said the tank would be replaced regardless of age and mileage. Then, gm changed their mind on…
Other Buick Rendezvous years
← 2002 Rendezvous · 2004 Rendezvous →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Rendezvous | 43 | 0 |
| 2006 Rendezvous | 89 | 1 |
| 2005 Rendezvous | 138 | 1 |
| 2004 Rendezvous | 200 | 4 |
| 2003 | 281 | 6 |
| 2002 Rendezvous | 486 | 2 |
| 2001 Rendezvous | 4 | 0 |
See all Buick Rendezvous problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Buick Rendezvous?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 53 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Buick Rendezvous?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Buick Rendezvous a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Rendezvous model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.